How to Measure Sleep Quality and How an Adjustable Bed Can Improve Your Sleep

Adults need seven or more hours of sleep per night. However, it is not necessarily the amount of time in bed that matters. The quality of your slumber is also vital.

Quality rest is necessary for recovery from the day’s activities. In addition to recharging your brain and muscles, sleep positively affects your body’s functions, including your immune system. Numerous medical studies link a lack of quality sleep with health issues, including diabetes, heart disease, and depression.

Your body naturally promotes sleep by following a cycle called the circadian rhythm. It releases hormones to promote a healthy sleep-wake cycle. One, called melatonin, induces sleep at night; another one, called cortisol, brings a state of alertness in the morning.

Some products, such as a dual-adjustable queen bed, can help stick to the natural rest cycle, but other factors — like stress, poor diet, schedule demands, family duties, and caffeine overuse — can disrupt the natural state of restfulness, even if you are in bed.

What factors measure sleep quality?

How do you know if you are sleeping well? When sleep specialists assess the quality of a subject’s slumber, they measure four different factors:

  1. Sleep latency is the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep after you get into bed. Most people need between five and 20 minutes to fall asleep.
  2. Sleep waking counts the number of times you wake up during the night. It is normal to wake sometimes, but repeated awakening can disrupt sleep quality.
  3. Wakefulness is the time spent awake between sleep periods. For quality sleep, this time should be 20 minutes or less.
  4. Sleep efficiency measures the time you spend in the actual sleep state. The ideal sleep efficiency should be at least 85 percent of the time spent asleep. As you can see, the other three factors affect this one. The overall goal of improving your night’s rest is increasing your sleep efficiency.

Some wearable devices can help you estimate sleep quality by measuring your pulse or breathing rate. However, if you pay attention to your sleep habits, you can get a good feel for the quality of your pillow time.

If you are tossing and turning or clock-watching, you are likely aware of the poor quality of your sleep.

What factors cause bad sleep?

The first step in correcting poor sleep efficiency is finding the causes that keep you awake. Here are the five most common ones:

  1. A poor sleeping environment can lead to disrupted rest. If your bed is uncomfortable, your room is noisy or too bright, or the space lacks sufficient air circulation, it can affect your ability to fall and stay asleep.
  2. Poor sleeping habits can also be to blame. You might stay up late to watch television, work on your laptop in bed, or wake up to check your phone during the night.
  3. Diet problems are often to blame for restless nights. Caffeine can disrupt sleep patterns and lead to excessive wakefulness. Sugary foods may create the same issue. Meanwhile, alcohol may make you fall asleep, but the sugars in wine or beer may wake you up later. Also, alcohol affects natural melatonin production, which can put you off your sleep schedule.
  4. Stress and anxiety cause insomnia in many people. These are mental issues rather than physical ones, so they require using stress management practices.
  5. Medical conditions, like sleep apnea, may increase your wakefulness period. You can deal with these problems with an adjustable bed with a built-in CPAP machine.

How can an adjustable bed help improve sleep quality?

Diet adjustments, reduced screen time in the evening, and improved mental wellness can help with sleep efficiency. However, without a good sleep environment, these other changes won’t be totally effective. This is where an adjustable bed and mattress can be helpful.

These beds allow you to change position to provide support for muscle or back pain. With an adjustable bed and mattress, you can also raise your legs to improve circulation, which can help promote a night of restful sleep. Also, the flexibility of positioning can help you find the right posture to promote quality sleep with 85 percent or better efficiency. An adjustable bed is much more comfortable than using pillows or blankets to prop yourself in a comfortable position.

Products like a split queen adjustable bed can even work for couples, allowing each person to set their positioning independently.

Adjustable beds can help with certain health conditions, such as acid reflux, respiratory issues, and heart disease. With a built-in CPAP machine, you can provide the perfect set-up to deal with sleep apnea.

What should I look for in an adjustable bed?

Adjustable beds are not created equal. If you want to improve the quality of your sleep, you should look for certain features.

An adjustable bed with a memory foam mattress can provide the proper support. No two bodies are exactly alike, and the material on these mattresses can conform to your body — instead of forcing your body to conform to the bed.

An adjustable bed shouldn’t require a change of sleeping arrangements. A split queen adjustable bed or other product that contains two different adjustable sections can help couples move the mattress to the ideal position without making their partner uncomfortable.

The range of movement and position options are also important. If you are investing in an adjustable bed, you will want one that you can adjust to your exact specifications. A memory feature is also useful because it will allow you to return automatically to your favourite position after an adjustment.

Finally, these beds have moving parts and motors. Build quality is especially important, and you should find a company that backs up this quality with a warranty.

Where can I find adjustable beds near me?

Ultramatic offers a range of adjustable beds. Our 10-year warranty on frames and moving parts will give you peace of mind, and our memory foam mattresses and adjustable beds with zero-gravity positioning can help you find the perfect posture for maximum sleep efficiency.

Contact us to learn more and find the best bed for your needs.